Changing The Trajectory Of The Country

The GOP campaign line is shaping up to be “only a Republican victory in November can change the trajectory of the country”. Implied is the notion that the US is headed in the wrong direction and 4 years under a President Hillary Clinton would perpetuate the Obama policies that got the US to this spot. Hmmm.

I wonder whether people like Senator Bob Corker (who uttered this message today on MSNBC) remember the George W Bush years? For example,

A tone at the top which deemphasized regulatory oversight. What happened was a home mortgage industry which got steroids from a collateralized debt obligation industry (Wall Street). That was not enough, the boys of Wall Street then began betting (buying and selling credit default swaps) using their depositors money (not their own) until the bets went sour. The US and most of the rest of the world sank into recession and poised at the edge of depression. The policies were a disaster and clearly the wrong trajectory. Today, following 8 years with President Obama arguably the US has the strongest economy in the world.

An unrealistic, ill-considered foreign policy. During the Republican George W Bush years, the US invaded a sovereign country (Iraq) for reasons which proved to be false. The occupation which followed was extremely poorly conceived and executed resulting in a politically unstable country. ISIS filled the political vacuum and the Middle East turned to a quagmire. President Obama has worked for 8 years to disengage the US from a Middle East mess.

A misdirected foreign policy. The Republican Bush Administration focused upon the Middle East ignoring both Russia and China. Missing the rising importance of China was a serious mistake (as demonstrated by China’s current activity in the South China Sea). President Obama pivoted US foreign policy to Asia (almost 3 billion people) and is attempting to ease a stronger China into the league of important and responsible nations.

The best healthcare money can buy. The Bush/GOP years were comfortable with traditional healthcare. During this time, insurance companies could drop customers for “pre-existing conditions”. With Obamacare there are 30 million more Americans with insurance and no one can be dropped or denied coverage. What’s wrong with this path?

The debt remains out of control. Technically that claim is true but on closer inspection, debt continues to rise because the tax revenues have not kept pace with inflation and have not increased enough to offset the Bush tax cuts. The primary sources of the budget deficit are Medicare and Medicaid which could both be put under control with a national universal healthcare and the US could join the rest of the modern world. Debt is an issue, but not one that is addressed with tax cuts.

All political parties must have some narrative about why voters should select them. The GOP’s “wrong trajectory” will needed to be further articulated. What new policies would they pursue? Why these policies would be superior to President Obama’s?

What the GOP cannot do is rewrite history and claim that the last time the GOP had the keys to the White House they acquitted themselves and the American people well.